


Five Times Diego Gets Caught & One Time He Comes Out

by agaytoremembr



Series: sterling!verse [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: 5 + 1, M/M, So he doesn't tell them, basically Diego is secretive and doesn't want to deal with his siblings prying, but they find out anyway, give Diego a boyfriend 2k19, this is for my group chat y'all are the real MVPs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-01 09:36:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18333380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agaytoremembr/pseuds/agaytoremembr
Summary: Diego's not ashamed. He just doesn't want to deal with all of the prying questions he knows his siblings will have. He just wants one thing to remain his, and his alone.Unfortunately, life doesn't always work out that way.Fortunately, his siblings aren't as terrible as he thought they would be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> @ Anna, Sky, and Tori, y'all get shout outs bc you helped me build Sterling and actually finish this fic. You guys rock. <3
> 
> (Also feel free to come yell at me about the umbrella academy on tumblr @ agaytoremembr)

_No. 4_

 

There were two reasons Diego still kept the boiler room at the gym: the first being, he _liked_ the gym and it was nice to get away from his siblings for a night; and two, he needed a place to bring dates home. There was no way he was taking anyone to the mansion, where his siblings seemed to agree that privacy, especially Diego’s, was meaningless. He had assumed no one would walk in, uninvited, when he was at the gym.

 

He was very wrong.

 

He also really should have known that it would be Klaus.

 

Diego woke to a loud cry. He grumbled, burying his face in his guest’s neck, snuggling closer. His sleepy brain figured maybe, getting closer to him was the way to make the noise go away.

 

His sleepy brain was an idiot.

 

“Diego Hargreeves!” The noise yelled, and Diego groaned. Who was yelling at him, in his own apartment??

 

Wait. That voice sounded a lot like… he looked up and glared. “Klaus?”

 

His brother’s grin spelled out very dangerous things. “Is that a _man_ in your bed, brother of mine?”

 

Diego glanced over, at the guy who was supposed to be a quick hookup, that had turned into something of a one-night-stand. _Sterling_ , his name was Sterling. He was still sleeping, even with Klaus being, well, _Klaus_. Diego felt a strange rush of affection for him.

 

Diego climbed out of bed, his muscles protesting, pulling on a t-shirt that he was fairly sure wasn’t his. “Maybe.”

 

“Ha!” Klaus cried triumphantly. “I knew I wasn’t the only one who liked co-”

 

Diego slapped his hand over Klaus’ mouth, his reflexes clearly more awake than he was. He scowled. “Finish that sentence, and I’ll stab you in a place you really don’t wanna be stabbed.”

 

Klaus rolled his eyes and struggled against Diego’s grip until he moved his hand away. “I’m pretty sure _all of me_ is a place I don’t wanna get stabbed!” He bit back.

 

Diego merely raised a brow, then looked down pointedly.

 

Klaus gasped, his hands quickly going to protect his crotch. “You wouldn’t!”

 

“If it means not discussing either of our sex lives with you? I _definitely_ will,” Diego replied cheerfully, his smile growing at the scowl on Klaus’ face. He paused when he heard shuffling, glancing behind them.

 

Sterling was out of bed, and pulling on his clothes.

 

Diego sighed. “Just, stay right here, okay?” He waited for Klaus to nod in assent. “Wait. Don’t move.”

 

“‘M not a dog,” Klaus muttered, but Diego wasn’t paying attention anymore.

 

Diego placed a hand on Sterling’s shoulder, an embarrassed smile on his lips. “Look, I’m sorry. I know this is weird, but… my brother is kind of…” he trailed off and looked at Klaus, who, it looked like, was having a heated argument with Ben. Or, at least, Diego hoped it was Ben.

 

Sterling’s gaze followed his, and he didn’t seem fazed. He smiled lazily, tugging his t-shirt down. “Don’t worry about it. I’m guessing he’s part of that crazy family you were tellin’ me about?”

 

Sterling’s southern drawl was even thicker when he was still sleepy, and Diego almost lost his train of thought. _Almost_.

 

He nodded sheepishly. “Call me later?”

 

Sterling grinned. “Definitely. Have fun with your brother.”

 

With that, he walked away, whistling cheerfully. Diego’s gaze followed him out the door, and dumbly wondered if Sterling was wearing _his_ shirt, and why the thought of that made his stomach flutter.

 

Diego was pulled from this line of thought, though, when Klaus cleared his throat noisily. “Am I allowed to comment on the fact that you look at him like you want to eat him, or will that also get me stabbed?”

 

Diego’s ears felt hot, and, if pressed, he could agree he probably deserved that. “Thin ice,” he muttered.

 

Klaus looked delighted. “So you _do_ want to eat him!”

 

“Shut up, Klaus.” Diego’s whole face felt like it was on fire, and his brother’s smirk wasn’t helping.

 

Suddenly it was like there was a vice grip of panic around his heart, and he glared.  “You can’t tell anyone,” Diego forbade, scowling at his brother. He could already see a plan brewing in Klaus’ mind, and he knew he wouldn’t like it.

 

Klaus rolled his eyes, flouncing over to Diego’s couch and draping himself across it. Diego shook his head. _Drama queen_.

 

“It’s not like they would _care_ ,” Klaus chided, jutting out his lower lip. “And I kind of have this bet going with Luther…”

 

Diego’s scowl was enough to shut Klaus up. “I _know_ they won’t care; that’s not the point,” he said stubbornly. He sighed and scrubbed his hand over his chin. “It’s not like I’m in the closet or anything-”

 

“Kind of are,” Klaus interrupted with a grin that told Diego he knew exactly how annoying he was being, and he enjoyed it.

 

Diego threw him a glare. “Not,” he corrected, a little forcefully, then rolled his eyes. “I’m not ashamed or anything, or in denial, or whatever bullshit you’re going to spout because you think you’re the queer guru. My friends know, Eudora knew, the guys on the force know; _I just don’t want our family to know_.” He crossed his arms over his chest and fixed Klaus with a stern look. “I don’t want to tell our nosy, never-take-no-for-an-answer siblings to know, okay? They would take it too far. And I thought you’d be the first person to understand that, considering.”

 

Considering Allison had caught wind that Klaus had fallen in love and pestered him about Dave until Klaus had, had a panic attack, because he hadn’t been at all ready to relive the memories.

 

The manic gleam faded from Klaus’ eyes, and his expression softened. “Okay, okay. I won’t tell them. But I still reserve the right to gossip with the dead!” He cried, his grin coming back full force.

 

“You can tell _Ben_ ,” Diego allowed. Generously, he thought.

 

Klaus pouted. “Ben already _knows_!” He stared intently at the empty space to Diego’s right, then grinned like the cat who got the cream.

 

Diego’s guard was instantly back up. Whatever had Klaus smiling like that was _not_ going to be good for him.

 

He was right. “Ben came to check on you last night,” Klaus singsonged, and Diego felt the blood drain from his face. “We knew you were pissed, and Ben wanted to make sure you weren’t going to do something stupid.” Klaus was still grinning maniacally, bouncing on his heels. “Apparently, you gave him quite the show. You scarred him for life!” He paused, looking at the same empty space where Diego knew Ben must be, then cackled. “You scarred Ben for _death_!”

 

Diego’s face was beet red, but he pushed through the embarrassment. “That’s it, where are my knives?” He growled, mostly an empty threat, reaching for his end table.

 

Klaus yelped, high-tailing it out of the room.

 

Diego sighed. Well, that was certainly _one_ way to come out to his brother.

 

\-----

 

_No. 5_

 

Diego was pressed against the front of the gym, being kissed within an inch of his life. He hadn’t gone into the date with any expectations, but he couldn’t deny he was happy at where it was heading. The rough brick scraping his back through his thin t-shirt was paired delightfully with his date’s hungry mouth and wandering hands. He was about to pull back, invite him inside, when he heard it.

 

“ _Ahem._ ”

 

Diego groaned, and Sterling froze. Just to confirm his suspicion, Diego glanced over his Sterling’s shoulder and sighed. “What do you want, Five?” The part of his brain that desperately wanted to drag Sterling to his bed was holding out hope maybe Five would go away.

 

The rational side of Diego knew that no matter what, the sight of his brother’s smarmy smirk was the worst of mood killers, and he might as well tell Sterling to go home.

 

Five rolled his eyes. “You’re on Vanya duty tonight.” He stared at Diego with those guarded eyes that never gave anything away.

 

Diego sighed again; he had completely forgotten he’d traded shifts with Klaus. Shadowing Vanya, helping to keep her calm now that she had all of these dangerous abilities, it was one of the things all of the siblings had agreed to do. Unfortunately for Diego, it was also more important than the gorgeous guy who was giving him a confused look. Diego leaned forward and kissed him quickly, nipping his bottom lip with a grin. “I have to go,” he murmured, slipping out of his arms. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly, still grinning. “Duty calls.”

 

Sterling scrubbed his hand through his hair, giving Diego an almost affectionate smile. “Another brother?” He guessed, clearly still remembering the Klaus incident from a few weeks before.

 

“What can I say, they’re more trouble than their worth,” Diego said lightly. “Text me? I’ll make it up to you.”

 

Five snorted behind him, and Diego flipped him off.

 

“I’m holding you to that,” Sterling said, all the while eyeing Five with poorly disguised curiosity.

 

Diego raised an eyebrow, clearing his throat. “One of these days we’ll get a date without being interrupted.”

 

Sterling laughed. “With a family like yours, darlin’? I’m not so sure.” His expression softened, and he made a shoo-ing motion with his hand. “Go on, then. _Duty_ calls. I’ll text you later.”

 

Diego shook his head, giving Sterling one last open smile.

 

Diego turned back to Five, his grin replaced with a stoic expression as he contemplated his brother. Diego meant every word he said to Klaus; he wasn’t _ashamed_. But, of his siblings, Five and Luther were the only two whose reactions Diego was unsure of. He wasn’t one to offer up explanations, but with Five steadfastly ignoring the scene he’d just interrupted… Diego felt like an explanation might be necessary. He opened his mouth to say, well, _something_ , but Five cut him off quite efficiently, holding up a hand without looking at him.

 

“Don’t,” Five said, flippant and unconcerned. “I don’t care.” He made a face. “I think I’m the one person that wants to talk about this _less_ than you do.” Five finally turned his head toward Diego, catching his gaze, casual and without judgment.

 

Diego’s throat caught, and he nodded dumbly.

 

They walked back to the mansion in a companionable silence, and if Five was a bit more tactile than usual, allowing their arms to brush against each other and shoulders to bump, well, Diego wasn’t going to tell anyone.

 

\-----

 

_No. 1_

 

One thing his boiler room apartment did not have, Diego thought idly, was a private bathroom.

 

Thankfully, he could use the mansion’s whenever he wished. He felt like the steam still clung to his skin, even as he was walking back to his bedroom. He was so relaxed that he didn’t hear the voice until he was opening his door.

 

“...a message?” Luther said, standing in the middle of Diego’s childhood bedroom, holding a phone to his ear.

 

Diego leaned against the door frame, more than a little curious to see what the fuck was happening.

 

“Diego’s brother!” Luther replied hotly. “And who are you?”

 

Diego was starting to get a really bad feeling, and he realized then that he’d left his cell phone… in his room. In _this_ room.

 

He stared at Luther in horror.

 

“Diego's _boyfriend_?”

 

Diego lunged forward, yanking the phone out of Luther’s hands. He scowled at his brother and pushed the phone to his ear. “Sterling?”

 

“Diego.” His boyfriend answered with a relieved sigh. “How many brothers do you have, again? Because I think I remember somebody promisin’ we wouldn’t be interrupted by them again.”

 

Diego couldn’t help a smirk. “See, and here I was thinking that all I promised you was a single, uninterrupted date.”

 

He could practically see Sterling’s answering grin. “Must have missed that part.”

 

Diego grinned, ready to reply, when he saw Luther’s dumbfounded look. His gut filled with dread. “I’ll call you back, okay? My brother, uh…”

 

Sterling sighed. “Another brother, another emergency,” he said softly. “Take care of your brother, darlin’. I’ll see you tonight.”

 

Diego closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. His boyfriend was far too understanding.

 

“Diego?”

 

Luther's voice jarred him, and his eyes snapped open. As with most times he looked at his brother, he got a surge of dampened rage. They’d been working on it, and it was usually manageable, but… Diego was terrified. He lied, to Klaus, to Sterling, to his friends. He was scared of coming out, but only to Luther.

 

Luther, who was so like their father, even now, when they’d all been working on their faults for months. Luther, who still made a face whenever Klaus talked about past lovers. Luther, who was huge and standing in his bedroom and towering over him with that passive expression, like he was judging him.

 

“What?” Diego snapped, pulling his towel more firmly around himself. The cold set in, and the steam that had made him feel so good before clung to his skin like ice. Luther’s nonreaction reminded him too much of their father’s face when Klaus came out on live TV, during an interview. Right before Klaus got pulled into his office.

 

They didn’t see Klaus again for three days.

 

“Fucking say something!” Diego almost screamed, shocking Luther into finally responding.

 

His brother hunched in on himself, the awkward posture so unlike precious leader Number One, that it, of all things, calmed Diego more than Luther’s response. “So,” Luther said slowly, pulling at his fingers in the same way Vanya did when she was anxious. “So. You have a boyfriend?” He looked at Diego with wide eyes, but Diego couldn’t find any malice within their blue depths.

 

Diego nodded, taut as a bow string, wishing urgently that he was wearing more than a bath towel.

 

Luther nodded, his mouth falling open slightly, like he wanted to speak but he couldn’t find the words. Finally, he attempted a smile. “So… you like him?”

 

A strangled laugh escaped Diego’s mouth. “He’s my boyfriend, of course I-” he swore, turning away and rubbing away the tears that gathered in his eyes. He took a moment to breathe, to collect himself. “You don’t… think it’s weird?” The fact that Luther’s opinion, that his father’s pseudo opinion still meant so much, disgusted Diego. But it didn’t make it untrue.

 

One of Luther’s gloved hands touched Diego’s bare shoulder, and Diego struggled not to flinch. “No,” Luther answered, bemused. “I mean… you’re happy, right?”

 

Diego’s breath caught. He thought about Sterling, his ridiculous accent that devolved into gibberish when he was tipsy, the way he would hold Diego for hours and sing in Creole French until he fell asleep, his pretty green eyes that never held an ounce of irritation for him and his idiot family. He laughed. “Yeah, Luther. I am.”

 

Luther smiled, squeezing Diego’s shoulder.

 

Diego laughed again, breathlessly, rubbing his forehead. “Can we be done talking about this?” He mumbled, unsure if he could physically take any more emotions after what he had already been through. Luckily, Luther nodded quickly. “Cool. And, uh. Don’t tell anyone, okay? It’s not, I’m not…” he struggled with the words, but as it turned out, he didn’t need to.

 

Luther nodded sagely, patting Diego’s arm. “Don’t worry, dude. Allison made us watch that Love, Simon movie. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

 

\----

 

_No. 7_

 

It happened on one of their walks around the grounds.

 

Vanya had always been the most perceptive of them, discounting Ben, but Diego never understood how much until that day.

 

“So,” Vanya started, popping a strawberry into her mouth. “Are you seeing anyone?”

 

Diego sputtered, dumbfounded, grabbing the package of fruit from her just to have something to do. He immediately started thinking about which part of his behavior had tipped his sister off. “What makes you ask that!”

 

“You haven’t been around very much lately,” Vanya said with a shrug, plucking the dish back out of Diego’s hands. “For the past few months, even.”

 

 _Oh_.

 

Diego looked down, his lips thinning. So he _had_ been spending too much time with Sterling, if even Vanya had noticed. “I’m sorry, Vanya, I just-”

 

Vanya cut him off with a smile and a wave of her hand. “It’s fine,” she said firmly, offering him a juicy blueberry. “So…? Are you?”

 

Diego took the berry, rolling his eyes. He planned to deny it, but he paused, chewing the fruit thoughtfully. If there was anyone he would willingly tell, who wouldn’t try to pry… it would be Vanya. He shrugged. “Yeah.”

 

Vanya eyed him for a minute. “Boyfriend?” She guessed lightly.

 

Diego’s eyes widened. They had only just made it official a few weeks before. “How’d you know?!”

 

Vanya just smiled, looking quietly proud of herself. She shrugged. “I had a feeling.” There was a small pause, and she added, “You’ve been happier lately.”

 

Diego wasn’t sure how to react to that, a flush creeping up his neck. “He does that,” he admitted, averting his eyes. He could feel Vanya’s gaze on him, but he studiously ignored it. Sterling made him feel things that he thought died with Eudora, but the idea of talking about him, of sharing him with his family…. it made raw panic claw at his throat.

 

“Do you want to go to the archery range?” Vanya asked randomly, a strange look on her face.

 

Vanya looked like she was imitating Klaus, almost, when he was trying to distract people. _She’s changing the subject_ , Diego realized, _because she can tell I’m uncomfortable_. It was times like those that he _really_ appreciated his sister. He looped his arm through hers. “Sure. Wanna put pictures of Dad on the targets?”

 

Vanya grinned. “You read my mind.”

 

\----

 

_No. 3_

 

“Diego?” Allison called.

 

Diego looked up from his place on the sofa, raising a brow as his sister walked into the library. “Yeah?”

 

Allison’s brows were furrowed, and she held a phone in the palm of her hands. “Who’s Sterling, and why does he wish he could kiss you?”

 

Diego’s heart stopped, and with ice in his gut he realized the phone in Allison’s hands was his. “Where did you get that?” He snapped, snatching his hands out of her grip.

 

“I found it in the kitchen. It was going off like crazy,” Allison explained, hurt coloring her voice. They had been working on trusting each other, and Diego knew accusing her of something she didn’t do would fuck that up. It was easier to be rational with his phone back in his possession. Speaking of…

 

He looked down at the screen, reading the texts, a warmth spreading through him that diffused the irritation. “I’ve got to stop leaving this around,” Diego said gruffly, waving his phone and forcing a smile.

 

Allison just stared at him, with what Diego and Klaus referred to as her ‘mom’ face: flat and unamused. “Diego. Who. Is. Sterling.” Her tone made it clear she wouldn’t ask again.

 

“None of your business,” Diego snapped, without thinking, just reacting to the tone that reminded him so much of their father. The expression on Allison’s face was enough to shake him of it, though. “Fuck, Allison, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, okay?”

 

Allison sighed, taking a seat beside him. “No, _I’m_ sorry. You’ve told us before about demanding things.”

 

Diego shrugged. He had, but it still made him feel guilty, snapping at his sister. Six months with Sterling, he thought with a small smile, had turned him into a wuss. Just the thought of his boyfriend sent another wave of guilt through him, for an entirely different reason. Allison was officially the last to know.

 

He sucked in a breath from between his teeth. “Sterling,” he began, softly, “is my boyfriend.”

 

\----

 

“Come on,” Diego muttered, grabbing Allison’s hand. His sister shot him a quizzical look, but he ignored it. Now that Allison was in the know, it was finally time.

 

“Hey!” Diego yelled, his voice echoing through the halls. “Family meeting, in the library!”

 

Allison was firing questions at him, but he held up a hand, effectively silencing her. It was time, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still nervous.

 

_Gonna come out to them all tonight. #yolo_

 

He knew it made Sterling groan whenever he used outdated memes, which is precisely why he did it. Imagining the look on his boyfriend’s face was what gave him the strength to look Allison in the eye again. He took a deep breath. “I’m coming out,” he said simply, his casual tone drastically contrasting the nerves that coursed through his body.

 

Diego didn’t even know _why_ he was nervous! Everybody already knew, had already reacted. It was just telling them as a group, telling them that it wasn’t a secret anymore, and yet, he felt as nervous as he had before coming out to Eudora.

 

He paced the length of the sofa while he waited for his siblings to file in, all looking equally confused.

 

“What’s this all about?” Klaus mumbled, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He dropped to the sofa. “I have plans with my bed soon.”

 

Luther frowned, nudging Klaus’ leg to make room for himself to sit down, while Vanya perched on the arm of a chair. Five fell back into the same chair, glaring with his usual air of irritation.

 

Diego almost backed out, but a quick text from Sterling was all he needed to breathe easily against

 

_You got this, baby. Love you._

 

Love you _. Love you._ Diego grinned. “Well, uh. Allison found out today, so that makes all of you now.” He shrugged, feeling lighter than he had since he had decided to call the meeting. _Love you. “_ You all know now, so, I guess I’ll just say it to be official. I’m bi. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.”

 

Diego’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he glanced at the screen, grinning as a text from Sterling popped up.

 

 _Need a getaway?_ Followed by a selfie of his boyfriend, outside the Hargreeves mansion.

 

Diego couldn’t control his grin. “I’ve got shit to do so, if we’re all done here…” he didn’t wait for them to respond, escaping out the door and almost running to the entrance.

 

He threw open the front door and laughed. Sterling was perched on the hood of his car, holding a bouquet of purple flowers. “Do you really think I’m a flower kind of guy?”

 

Sterling shrugged, grinning as Diego approached him. “Well,” he began, parting his thighs so Diego could step between them, and winding his arms around Diego’s neck. “‘S’not every day you come out to your family. Thought I’d get you a present.”

 

Diego plucked the flowers out of Sterling’s hands, setting them on the car carefully before raising an eyebrow. “And your first thought was flowers,” he deadpanned.

 

“Yup.” Sterling popped the ‘p’, his lips stretched into an almost obscenely happy grin. “Thought about getting you a new knife, but you got plenty of those. Figured you haven’t gotten flowers before, though.”

 

Diego couldn’t take the anticipation anymore. He surged forward, connecting their lips for a sweet kiss. “I love them,” he mumbled, the corners of his mouth lifting in a soft smile. _Only Sterling_.

 

His boyfriend’s attention wandered, and he laughed. “Don’t look now,” Sterling murmured in Diego’s ear, “but I think we got ourselves an audience.”

 

Diego looked back and immediately wished he hadn’t. All five of his siblings were watching them from the windows, with varying degrees of interest. He groaned. “This is why I didn’t want to tell them.”

 

He opened his mouth to apologize for his idiot family, but Sterling was still staring at them, a shy grin on his lips. His boyfriend lifted a hand to wave, ever so hesitantly, and Diego’s stomach fluttered.

 

“D-duh-do,” Diego began, biting his lip hard to stop the stutters. Sterling was looking at him now, a concerned frown directed his way, a warm hand cupping Diego’s cheek in a way that made him feel small in a distinctly good way. Diego breathed. “Do y-you want to… to meet them?”

 

Sterling blinked, like the thought hadn’t occurred to him. But it passed in an instant, and his focus is back on Diego, giving him a soft smile. “Do _you_ want me to meet then?”

 

Diego thought about it. Thought about Luther, who would probably try to intimidate Sterling, or give him some weird version of an older brother speech; of Allison, who would want to know _everything_ ; of Klaus, who would definitely be inappropriate and tease Diego for all he was worth; of Five, who would size Sterling up in an instant, and more than likely just _casually_ mention exactly how many ways he knows how to kill a man; and of Vanya, who would just be happy for him. Then he thought of his boyfriend. Sterling, who knew Diego could handle himself, who respected that Diego was a private person, who would probably laugh at Klaus’ dumb jokes and give Vanya that same sunny smile that always warmed Diego’s heart.

 

It was an easy decision.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I think I do.”


	2. Meeting the Family

Sterling’s smile lit up his whole face like he was Diego’s own personal sun, radiating warmth, and Diego knew he had made the right choice. Sterling was ever patient with him, but it was clear he had been wanting this.

 

Just because it was the right choice, didn’t mean Diego’s anxieties were erased, though. “On one condition,” he started, placing his open palm against Sterling’s chest, so he could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was silly, he knew, but it made him feel better. “No matter what they say in there, you’re not allowed to break up with me until I can explain.”

 

Sterling glanced down at Diego’s hand, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Darlin’, I don’t think there’s anything they could say that would make me break up with you.” His smile twitched, and he snickered. “Unless you’re a mass murderer or somethin’, I think you’re safe.”

 

Diego’s stomach dropped, and he thought about all those missions they went on as kids, and when Klaus started to pull away from him.

 

_“Too many ghosts follow you,” his brother had whimpered between sobs, pushing him out the door, “you’re fucking haunted, Diego!”_

 

He wondered what Sterling considered mass murder.

 

Sterling’s brows shot up and his hand slid back to cup the back of Diego’s neck. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. We don’t have to do this, D. It’ll be okay. Breathe for me, okay?”

 

Sterling was pretty well used to Diego’s anxiety attacks, and while his boyfriend’s usual level of caring made his heart swell with affection, Diego shook his head. “It’s fine,” he mumbled, forcing a smile. “Let’s go meet my crazy family.”

 

Diego stepped back, gently untangling Sterling’s limbs from him. He took his boyfriend’s hand and tugged lightly, sighing when he took in the obstinate expression on Sterling’s face. “It’s _fine_ , _Plateado_ ,” he promised, surprising himself by meaning it. Sterling would have to know about his past someday, would have to meet his family someday, and the longer Diego tried to stall, the more it would hurt if it ended badly. He flashed a small smile. “You’ve already kind of met Klaus and Five anyway.”

 

Sterling reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled off the hood of the car. He pressed a quick kiss to Diego’s lips, rubbing the back of his neck comfortingly. “I might have to commandeer your flowers, baby,” he mumbled, a shy grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Can’t meet your mama and sisters and not bring flowers.”

 

“God, you’re such a _cowboy_ ,” Diego groaned, grinning widely. His boyfriend was a typical southern gentleman. “ _Fine_ , you can give my flowers to them, but only if I get rose petals later.”

 

Sterling smirked. “You’re awful demandin’,” he drawled. “But I think I like you anyway.”

 

Diego rolled his eyes. “You _love_ me,” he corrected with a tiny grin. “Now come on, before they try to come outside. I’d rather keep this freak show contained.”

 

“That I do,” Sterling murmured, squeezing Diego’s hand as he followed him up to the entrance.

 

Diego pushed open the front door, sighing deeply at what he knew would be waiting for them. His siblings didn’t surprise him; they were all waiting, forming a semicircle around the door. It might have been formidable if not for the giddy expression on Allison, Vanya, and Klaus’ faces. Luther just looked bemused, and Five like he would rather be anywhere else.

 

“Guys,” Diego began slowly, stepping back to give Sterling room to come inside. “This is my boyfriend, Jesse Sterling.”

 

Sterling’s shy grin lit up the room, as far as Diego was concerned, and he produced the bouquet of flowers from behind his back. “Just Sterling, please,” he said pleasantly, his accent thick.

 

Allison’s gaze was drawn to the flowers immediately, and she made a noise that Diego could only classify as a _squeal_. “Are those for us?”

 

Sterling’s grin was wide and happy. “Yes, ma’am. I can’t tell ya how happy I am to be meetin’ Diego’s family, finally.”

 

“Technically we met before!” Klaus was practically glowing with unreserved glee. It was a typically dangerous expression for Klaus to have, in Diego’s opinion. “I caught you in _flagrante delicto_.”

 

The siblings groaned at the picture that painted, and Sterling flushed bright pink. “I’m pretty sure you just saw us sleepin’,” he corrected. “Klaus, right? It’s nice to actually meet you.” He held out his hand earnestly, and Klaus shook it vigorously, grinning like an idiot.

 

“You got yourself a little gentleman,” Klaus cooed, shooting Diego a smirk. “I like.”

 

Diego scowled, reaching forward and pulling Sterling’s hand out of Klaus’ grasp. “Shut _up_ , Klaus,” he muttered, rubbing his boyfriend’s forearm. He wasn’t _jealous_ , he just didn’t want Klaus to touch him when he was looking at him all…. _appreciatively_. Klaus didn’t need to appreciate Sterling, Diego had that covered.

 

Allison rolled her eyes at the mini showdown and pushed herself forward, extending her own hand. “I’m Allison, Diego’s older,” Diego sputtered, and Allison shot him a glare, “sister.”

 

Diego scowled, grumbling pointedly, “Three is _after_ Two,” but Allison cheerfully ignored him.

 

She smiled, but it wasn’t an open, friendly smile Diego knew his sister was capable of. It was like she was trying to show Sterling she was dangerous. It was her mama bear smile, laced with a protectiveness that rankled. Diego could protect _himself_ , thank you very much.

 

Sterling, thankfully, wasn’t easily intimidated. He returned the smile with a grin of his own, easy and free and unconcerned. “Lovely to meet you, Miss Allison,” he said sincerely. “Diego’s said wonderful things.”

 

Diego snorted, and immediately his boyfriend elbowed him.

 

“Wonderful. Things,” Sterling repeated, flashing Diego a warning look.

 

Diego smirked. “Yeah, I definitely talk all the time about my sisters and their good qualities. Totally things I bore my boyfriend with.”

 

Sterling sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily. His small, apologetic smile was directed at Vanya, who looked almost dwarfed standing next to Allison. “Which means you must be Miss Vanya.” Vanya’s eyes widened and she blushed. Sterling’s smile widened and he jerked his thumb at Diego. “Sorry about him, he’s not usually so impolite.”

 

“And you’re lying through your teeth,” Diego said cheerfully, rather enjoying himself. Why had he been nervous about this again? Teasing Sterling about his impeccable manners was one of his favorite pastimes.

 

“We know Diego’s always an utter asshole,” Klaus said with a grin. “Don’t have to spare our feelings.”

 

“Yessir,” Sterling said automatically, his eyes widening when he realized what he had said. He flushed bright pink. “I mean, okay.”

 

Diego scowled. “No,” he said sharply, pointing a finger at Klaus, who was grinning in a way that was not at _all_ well-meaning. “No teasing him.”

 

Klaus stuck out his tongue and leaned up to whisper to Luther. Diego glared, but his more immediate concern was Vanya and Sterling. He loved Vanya, he did, but even now after a good seven months of training with her powers, she still had a habit of… _accidents_ , when she felt any rush of strong emotions.

 

Vanya was smiling, though, which was good. And Sterling was still smiling, which was even better. He wasn’t worried about his boyfriend’s ability to charm his siblings; his big worry was his siblings’ habit of being _too much_.

 

Luther’s loud voice put him immediately on edge again, and for good reason, it seemed. “You better treat Diego right.” It was an odd thing to randomly blurt out, especially from _Luther_ , but one look at Klaus’ maniacal expression cleared his confusion. So _that_ was how he was going to play it.

 

Sterling straightened, his hands clasping behind his back without thinking. “Yessir,” he said automatically, eyes wide.

 

Diego scowled, placing a hand on Sterling’s lower back. “Klaus…” he warned.

 

Klaus ignored him in favor of smirking at Sterling. “Say, Boyfriend,” Klaus said sweetly, his eyes flashing with mischief, “do you call _Diego_ ‘sir’, too, or is it just us?”

 

One thing Klaus was not, was subtle. Sterling sputtered, looking to Diego for help.

 

Diego slapped Klaus on the back of his head, while Allison pinched Luther’s arm for going along with it. “This is why I don’t let you meet people,” Diego hissed.

 

Sterling cleared his throat, tugging at his shirt collar. All eyes went to him, and his still-pink cheeks flushed even darker. Diego wondered how he could get caught naked in bed, or making out against a building, without minding, but a few innuendos from Diego’s family got him bright pink. “It’s a southern thing, _actually_ ,” he said firmly, shrugging. “After so long of having it drilled into you, the sir’s and ma'am’s just come naturally to people older than me.”

 

Diego groaned, while Klaus snickered. “Bet that’s not the only thing that’s been drilled into you while you _come naturally_.”

 

Diego slapped his hand over Klaus’ mouth and inhaled sharply. “This is getting to be a real thing with us,” he mumbled, scowling at his brother. “I know you think you’re funny, but I _will_ end you.”

 

Diego could feel Klaus’ grin against his hand, and his brother said something, the words unintelligible from behind his palm.

 

Sterling cleared his throat, and all of Diego’s attention was back on his boyfriend. Klaus managed to wriggle away from his grip, but Diego didn’t react except to punch blindly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as his fist connected with something. “Yeah?”

 

Sterling rolled his eyes, his formal demeanor letting up if only for a brief moment, swaggering over to put his hands on Diego’s hips. “Fightin’ with your brother already, darlin’?”

 

Diego shrugged, unable to keep the grin off of his face. “He started it.”

 

Sterling quirked a brow. “Uh-huh.” He sounded distinctly unimpressed, but anyone who knew him well enough could see he was at least a little amused by his boyfriend’s antics.

 

Diego was ready to respond with some witty remark, but Klaus’ cackle cut him off. “So I was wrong!” Klaus sounded far too cheerful. “Diego’s the one who calls _you_ Sir.”

 

Diego closed his eyes for a moment, before giving Sterling a look. His boyfriend’s ears were bright red, and Diego just shrugged. “You’re the one who wanted to meet them.”

 

\---

 

Sterling wasn’t scared of shovel talks. Hell, he was from the south, where the shovel talk had practically been invented. In his hometown, just looking at someone the wrong way had a horde of their relatives and friends ready to threaten your life if you hurt them in any way.

 

So when Luther and Five both cornered him, separately, for their own versions of the tried and true big sibling talk, Sterling couldn’t say he actually felt threatened. Luther might have been more convincing if he wasn’t fumbling and awkward with his words, and Five would have been terrifying if the words weren’t coming from the mouth of a thirteen year old. Sterling appreciated the sentiment, though, and did his best to promise them both he wouldn’t be hurting their brother if he could help it.

 

The talk he never expected, though, was from sweet and unassuming Vanya. She drew him away from Diego with a request for help in the kitchen, and he thought it would be a nice break away from Diego’s more… rambunctious siblings. He liked them, he did, but privately, he thought meeting all of Diego’s family was a little bit like running two separate marathons, back to back. Fun, under the right circumstances, but daunting.

 

The thing was, Sterling wasn’t sure if Vanya even _meant_ to give him the talk. Strange things happened around Vanya, Diego had told him once, and Sterling hadn’t quite believed him until the moment the silverware started to rattle in the drawer, even though neither of them was near them.

 

“Vanya?” Sterling questioned, his eyes wide. Vanya had her back to him, reaching up to grab a bag of chips from the middle shelf. She didn’t respond to him, continuing to struggle, and Sterling stepped in, early plucking the bag and offering it to her. “Vanya?” He repeated, his brows pulling together. What was going on?

 

Vanya hesitantly took the bag, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. “Thank you,” she said quietly, because Vanya was polite, Sterling knew, but she didn’t seem entirely grateful. She looked… suspicious.

 

“Are you okay?” Sterling frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. Diego had warned him that Vanya was a little strange, but this was… something else.

 

Vanya’s nose wrinkled and she turned away from him, opening the bag of chips and slowly dumping them out into a large bowl. “Diego’s had it rough.” Which was _not_ what Sterling expected to hear.

 

“I… know that, Vanya,” he said gently, sidestepping to try to get back into her line of vision. He offered a hesitant smile, that she did not return.

 

“He’s been through a lot,” Vanya said stubbornly, not even bothering to pretend to fuss with the chips any longer. She just stared at him with a tiny frown, and he could hear the contents of the drawers shaking. “So I don’t want him to get hurt.”

 

That was when Sterling realized what was happening. He hadn’t expected to get this talk from Diego’s tiniest sibling, little Vanya, who, according to Diego, was the nicest of them all. His brows pulled together. “I don’t plan on hurtin’ him, Vanya,” he said softly, reaching forward to place his hand over hers. Her hand was so small, he could close one of his over it and cover it completely. “I love him.”

 

Vanya nibbled on her bottom lip. “His detective loved him, too. That didn’t stop her from dying.” She looked away, and her voice broke. “I loved him. _Love_ him. But I still hurt him with the book.” She glanced back at Sterling, through a curtain of hair. She looked miserable. “Sometimes we don’t mean to, but we still hurt the people we love. So, don't do that, okay?”

 

Sterling wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that, so he just pulled her hand into both of his, giving it a small squeeze. He could hear the contents of the cabinets beginning to shake as his silence went on, and he allowed himself the smallest of smiles, albeit a rather sad one. “I can’t promise I won’t ever hurt him, Miss Vanya, because that would be a promise I’m sure to break. But I can promise you I’ll do my best.”

 

Vanya’s gaze never left his, her forehead wrinkling and her brows pulling together as she seemed to have an internal struggle with herself. Sterling just continued to hold her hand, silently, giving her all the time she needed. Diego couldn’t be rushed into a decision, and Sterling had a gut feeling that his sister was the same way.

 

Finally, something seemed to click. The rattling in the cupboards and drawers all ceased the minute Vanya’s lips curled into a smile. Her small hand squeezed Sterling’s. “Okay,” she said simply, as if the previous events hadn’t just happened, as if they had just been having a friendly chat. She pulled her hands back, glancing away before holding out the bowl of chips. “Come on, soldier. We’ve got at least a few hours of interrogation left for you, if I know Allison and Klaus.”

 

Sterling blinked. He took the bowl dumbly, eyeing Vanya’s sudden mischievous smile with something akin to suspicion, but he followed her back into the war zone without question. Diego’s family was insane, he decided, but they were Diego’s, and for that, he liked them. Strange as they were.

 

\---

 

Diego’s body thrummed with nervous energy. His foot tapped incessantly while he buckled his seatbelt, all the while stealing glances at his boyfriend. The same boyfriend who hadn’t spoken a word since they said goodbye to his siblings. “So?” Diego prompted, cringing as he heard the desperate tinge to his voice. “How was it?”

 

Sterling’s brow wrinkled as he started the truck, his lips parting without saying anything. He paused, before giving Diego an unreadable look. “I think,” Sterling said carefully, “that all of your siblings save for Klaus threatened my life tonight.”

 

Diego’s heart plummeted, but he kept his face carefully neutral. “Even Vanya?”

 

Sterling hummed in agreement, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “Even her,” he said, and Diego’s lips thinned.

 

Sterling noticed, because of course he did, and he smiled as he cupped Diego’s cheek. “Hey,” he breathed, tilting Diego’s chin up. “I’ve endured worse than shovel talks. Actually, I think it might make me like them more.”

 

At Diego’s disbelieving look, Sterling snorted. “What? I’m a good ol’ boy. Siblings who protect their own is somethin’ I can respect.”

 

Diego relaxed a little, shaking his head. His fucking cowboy of a boyfriend never ceased to surprise him.

 

“I can even respect Klaus, despite him being the only person _not_ to threaten me if I hurt you,” Sterling continued with a grin.

 

“And Ben,” Diego said almost instinctively, immediately cursing himself for it. Sterling didn’t know about their powers yet.

 

That got a surprised snort out of his boyfriend. “Well, _yeah_ ,” Sterling said with a grin. “Would have been pretty weird if a dead guy showed up out of nowhere to threaten me.”

 

Diego hesitated, almost ready to spill the truth, but something held him back. He had just been through the ringer with his _living_ relatives, Diego reasoned, there was no need to burden him with the dead just yet.

 

Diego smiled, leaning over to press a quick kiss to Sterling’s lips. “You’re right. Let’s go home, yeah?”

 

Sterling grinned. “Whatever you say… _Sir._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments give me life :)
> 
> And.... possibly writing a bunch of other one shots featuring the two idiots in love because I really like this OC and Diego in love. Lemme know if that's something you'd enjoy?


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